jaliren

Yes, you should email them -- I bet they'd be able to provide an update at this point. And I actually didn't even know about an open house on the 20th. Did you receive that info via email?

I just got my rejection, so I'm not still waiting at this point. That concludes the cycle for me: 1a/1w/7r. Honestly, this was a lot more difficult than I expected, and I thought I'd end up with more than one acceptance. However, I'm feeling fortunate to have one offer that I'm pretty happy with at the end of the day.

I was the one who posted the Hopkins rejection. My portal never updated, but I had reached out to the profs that I interviewed with back in early Feb, and they informed that I hadn't made it in. I'm almost positive that all acceptances are out at this point given that their visit day already happened -- so I'd unfortunately likely assume rejection.

Claiming a Georgetown rejection too (as expected). My application to Penn is still technically pending, but I think that's pretty likely to be a rejection given how late it is now -- so I think the cycle is basically over for me. Feeling lucky to have an acceptance I'm pretty happy with, even though it was far from my top choice originally.

On the results page, there was an admitted student who mentioned that they thought that all acceptances were out already and that they thought those who hadn't heard back could safely assume rejections at this point. I'm in the same boat with my decision still pending, but I don't have high hopes.

Is it the impression of others that in the case of schools that haven't sent a decision yet, we may be unofficially waitlisted? I am thinking that certain schools like to send out an initial batch of acceptances, wait to see who accepts/rejects, then send out another wave later to lower-ranked candidates. The reason they may not officially place applicants on a waitlist is that it could negatively color their perception of the school—they may believe that waitlisted applicants will in the meantime start to develop a more positive opinion of other schools that they believe are more interested in them, and therefore refrain from actually doing a real waitlist. Does this (admittedly entirely speculative) theory sound reasonable to other people? Maybe I'm just deluding myself haha

Huge congrats, those are awesome results!

Yeah, that is strange. I don't see the rationale. On a slightly different note, is anyone else still waiting to hear from Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, and/or Penn? It would be so nice to be able to cross those off my pending application list—but they seem to be slowrolling all their decisions.

I'm equally confused by this. I've got three more schools other than Harvard that fit into this category -- and I am pretty invested still, as nearly every one would be preferable to my current best option if I got in haha.

I did my MA at SFS (not MSFS, a different program) a few years ago. Feel free to PM me if you want any insight on the school.

I didn't apply for the same reason. I don't have more information than what's on the website, so it's possible that we're both interpreting that wrong. But the funding situation seems pretty bad.

How are those on waitlists planning to navigate them in the next month or so? I am currently waitlisted at a program that would be my first choice if I got in. Is it good practice to send a follow up email to the DGS in mid- or late March reiterating my interest in the program?

Fletcher school PhD in IR? I didn't apply, although I heavily considered it because I was looking into various more policy-oriented programs. If you don't mind me asking, are you interested in policy as opposed to academic jobs following the PhD?

I'm still waiting on Harvard, Georgetown, Penn, and Johns Hopkins. It looks from the results page like all of these schools have sent out acceptances by this point—so I'm not too optimistic I've got anything left but rejections. I just wish I knew for sure so that I could focus on getting excited about the option I do have!

I haven't heard anything from Penn yet (IR subfield).